2023 NFL Draft: Why the Jaguars Drafted Raymond Vohasek

An extension for starting nose tackle DaVon Hamilton ahead of the start of the 2023 NFL Draft meant the Jaguars didn't need to find an interior defensive lineman early on.

But it didn't mean they couldn't take a swing at the position later in the draft, which they did with North Carolina defensive lineman Raymond Vohasek with the No. 227 pick in the seventh round.

Vahasek started 18 games over the last two years, including five starts in 2022. He was named honorable mention All-ACC in 2021 after finishing the year with 38 tackles, four tackles for loss, and three pass breakups.

"Defensive tackle, nose tackle. Very good film. Tough. Very good with his hands. Spoke to him on the phone. Had a great conversation with him the other day. A guy that loves football," Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke said.

The Jaguars made sure to emphasize culture fit and character fit with each selection during the 2023 draft, while also targeting potential undrafted free agents who they wanted to be guaranteed they would snag. Vohasek fits both bills.

"Worked with a guy that's on staff at North Carolina. Spoke very highly of him. He's all ball. When we called him and Coach got a chance to talk to him, he's all ball," Baalke said.

Vohasek was the 12th of the Jaguars' 13 selections and will join a unit that consists of fellow rookie Tyler Lacy, Hamilton, Roy Robertson-Harris, Foley Fatukasi, Adam Gotsis, Michael Dogbe, Henry Mondeaux, and others.

"Well, the advantage you have in that many picks, what happens in college free agency, which the guys are doing right now, they cost a lot of money. That landscape has changed," Baalke said. "So we're out there, these seventh-round picks are getting less money than the college free agents are getting right now in terms of guaranteed dollars and everything else. So when you have 13 picks, it allows you to draft some of those guys that you would normally be fighting for in college free agency."

"But once you get these guys on the team, we don't set any boundaries. We don't set any limits. Whether you're the first guy on the roster or the 90th guy on the roster, you come in and compete. If you earn the spot you're going to earn the spot. I think Coach would say the same thing."

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